Over two-thirds of offenders who reported committing incest also said they assaulted victims outside the family.

Some studies of victims have shown less than 30% of sex crimes are reported to law enforcement.

Young victims who know or are related to the perpetrator are least likely to report the crime to authorities.

Sex Offender Characteristics

Most offenders commit multiple crimes against multiple types of victims with whom they have varying types of relationships (adults, children, male, female, known and unknown). This behavior is known as "crossover".

Sex offenders rarely commit just one type of offense. Many offenders have NO official criminal record or sex crime history of any kind.

There is no such thing as a "typical" sex offender; however, all tend to be manipulative, deceptive, and secretive. Sex offenders come from all backgrounds, ages, income levels, and professions.

The majority of offenses (80 - 95%) are committed by someone the victim knows.

Sexual deviancy often begins in adolescence.

Sex offenders usually do not commit their crimes impulsively. They usually carefully plan their crimes.